The Gnu Music Festival will be returning June 8 with more to offer than before, and with a different purpose at hand. Featuring two stages, more than 10 local bands, DJs, artists, food vendors and more, this year's Gnu Music Festival serves as a fundraiser to help outfit the new potential Opelika location of The Gnu's Room.
"We actually did a music festival last fall as a fund raiser," said Alaina Guzman, frequenter of The Gnu's Room and front-runner of the event.
"When I found out that things were getting so close to being impossible for Tina (Tatum, owner of The Gnu's Room) to continue The Gnu's Room as a non-profit, it seemed like a natural solution."
According to Guzman, the majority of the acts performing at the festival are volunteering their talents as a means to support the bookstore's continued survival.
"The Gnu's Room itself has given a start to dozens of community bands by giving them that place to play before they could play anywhere else and let their music be heard," Guzman said.
"I think that's also the reason why everybody is so willing to play at the festival because they've spent so many shows playing for 10 or 15 people (at The Gnu's Room) until they finally got the word out that they were working really hard on their music."
For local artist Chandler Jones of Adventure the Great, the shop has served as a starting point for his music to be heard in an atmosphere that's hard to find at most venues.
Jones recounted his band's first show at The Gnu's Room, and the intimacy it provided.
"I remember talking to Tina about that show, and I really wanted to make this intimate night out of it," Jones said.
"So we ended up clearing everything out and putting candles all over the place with the lights turned off, and that was one of my first shows in Auburn."
The location provided Jones with more than just a unique venue.
"It was sort of the first sense of community I experienced once I got here," Jones said.
"Not only that, but it sort of started the band with the first show we had here."
Though the Gay Street location will no longer serve as home to the bookstore, Tatum has ideas in mind of what the new location will hold.
"I just envision being able to have a lot more events there," Tatum said.
"I hope to maybe include some other non-profits and allow them to have some space within the space so they can take advantage of not having a whole lot of overhead, and we can work together to promote each others' events."
Tickets can be purchased prior to the event at The Gnu's Room, The Auburn Guitar Shoppe or by making an online donation to The Gnu's Room Kickstarter Campaign site. Proceeds will go toward contracting for the new space in Opelika.
Doors to the festival open at 10 a.m. with the first band playing at 11 a.m. in downtown Opelika at The Railyard. Bands are scheduled to perform staggered throughout the day, with local DJs starting in the evening and playing into the night.
For more information and a complete lineup, check out Gnu Summer Festival on Facebook.
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